LAKELAND, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation is recommending several cities in Polk County that could be part of the expansion for the SunRail commuter rail line.

What You Need To Know

  • FDOT presented a feasibility study to Polk Transportation Planning Organization for expanding SunRail further west

  • Currently, SunRail goes through cities like Orlando, Kissimmee and Winter Park

  • Proponents for the expansion say it will help increase foot traffic near potential new stations throughout Polk County

One of the potential areas that could be the newest spot for this expansion is in Lakeland, where some local businesses believe the commuter line will increase foot traffic in the downtown area.

“It's always popping every time from like 5:00 every day,” said Avery Polk, an employee at Palace Pizza in downtown Lakeland. “And any time later than that, it starts to pick up business and then on Fridays, it's a line out the door.”

Polk has worked on and off at the restaurant for years and for her, it was an easy decision to stick around.

“It's more of like a family dynamic here,” she said. “I mean, I feel like I really am a part of the Palace family.”

Living just down the road with a young child, it’s a convenient spot for her to work. And soon, it could be convenient for people in and around Lakeland to come downtown for some pizza on Kentucky Avenue.

“It's going to be beneficial for everybody,” Polk said.

She’s talking about the ongoing discussions that FDOT is having to expand the SunRail into Polk County to potentially have a stop in Lakeland.

Right now, the agency is studying the feasibility of extending the rail line while looking at things like cost, challenges and benefits to moving further west.

SunRail goes through towns like Winter Park, Orlando, Kissimmee and Poinciana.

For Polk, this would be a great option for her friends who don’t live nearby.

“I have a couple of friends who live in Orlando and it's kind of hard to see them actually because of how far the commute is and how much the traffic does get in the way,” Polk said. “So, I feel like that would be really beneficial and being able to bring families together that also live in like cities over where any real distance they can get to each other faster.”

And it would be beneficial for her and her friends to avoid I-4 entirely.

“Because people do like to drive like crazy sometimes,” Polk said, joking. “Just sometimes.”

Personal reasons aside, Polk says expanding to Lakeland’s downtown will help busy spots like Palace see even more people come for dinner.

“There's going to be a lot more foot traffic coming into the restaurant, for sure,” Polk said. “But it's not that it's not exciting. It means there's going to be a lot more business.”

The feasibility study was approved by Polk County’s transportation planning organization on Oct. 12.

FDOT will now do an environmental study and put together a project design to show the county at a future meeting.